Notation
Note: The tunes below are recorded in what
is called “abc notation.” They
can easily be converted to standard musical notation via highlighting with
your cursor starting at “X:1” through to the end of the abc’s, then
“cutting-and-pasting” the highlighted notation into one of the many abc
conversion programs available, or at concertina.net’s incredibly handy “ABC
Convert-A-Matic” at

**Please note that the abc’s in the Fiddler’s
Companion work fine in most abc conversion programs. For example, I use
abc2win and abcNavigator 2 with no problems whatsoever with direct
cut-and-pasting. However, due to an anomaly of the html, pasting the abc’s
into the concertina.net converter results in double-spacing. For
concertina.net’s conversion program to work you must remove the spaces
between all the lines of abc notation after pasting, so that they are
single-spaced, with no intervening blank lines. This being done, the F/C
abc’s will convert to standard notation nicely. Or, get a copy of
abcNavigator 2 – its well worth it.[AK]

PRATIES ARE DUG, AND
THE FROST IS ALL OVER. AKA and see "The American Dwarf," "The Frost
is All Gone," "The Frost
is All Over [1]," "Hey to
the Camp," "Owl Creek,"
"Praties in the Bag,” “What Would You/I Do if the
Kettle Boiled Over." Irish (originally), American; Jig. USA,
southwestern Pa., New York. D Major. Standard. AABB (Kerr): AABC (Bayard,
Cole). . The title is taken from the first line of one of several songs written
to the tune. Bayard (1981) traces this tune's earliest printings back to The Masque, which appeared in Playford's
Dancing Master, 13th Edition, 1707,
pg. 148. Original versions of the tune itself he finds were published in the
17th century, and he has "very little doubt" that it dates from
sometime in the 1600's. "(When) the Praties Are Dug and the Frost Is All
Over" and "Hey to the Camp" were later versions, although they
have remained popular for some two hundred years. The melody first appears in
Irish collections in the work of George Petrie, who collected it from a County
Armagh source in the mid-19th century. Sound recordings begin with
the trio of Chicago piper Tom Ennis, fiddler Tom Quigley, and piano player John
Muller, who recorded the jig in New York in 1923. Cited as having commonly been
played at Orange County, New York country dances in the 1930's (Lettie Osborn, New York Folklore Quarterly). Bayard (Dance to the Fiddle), 1981; No. 504, pg.
460 (appears as an untitled "Cotillion"). Cole (1000 Fiddle Tunes), 1940; pg. 78. Kerr (Merry Melodies), vol. 2; No. 233, pg. 26. Ryan’s Mammoth Collection, 1883; pg. 111. Tara
CD4011, Frankie Gavin – “Fierce Traditional” (2001).

PRAY FAIR ONE BE KIND. English, Air. The tune appears in John Gay's Beggar's Opera (1729) as "My heart was so free." Kidson
(1922) was not able to trace the tune. Raven (English Country Dance Tunes), 1984; pg. 54.

PRECIEUSE, LA.French, Jig. A Minor. Standard
tuning. AAB. Composed by J. Chaxelle, around 1796 according to Barnes, although
other sources say Chaxelle may have died in 1782. There is also a similar
sounding “La Precieuse” in Giovanni Andrea Gallini’s New Collection of
Forty-Four Cotillons (London, 1770). Barnes (English Country Dance Tunes,
vol. 2), 2005; pg. 146.

PRELUDE OF THE BOSS (Profiad Y Botwm). Welsh. A mediaeval piece from the Robert Ap
Huw manuscript (a manuscript of bardic music of Wales from the Renaissance and Middle
Ages, now housed in the British Museum), deciphered by Peter Crossley-Holland.
Ap Huw was a harpist who lived in the time of Elizabeth I and James IV. The
‘boss’ of the title refers to an ornate jewel that decorated most harps at the
time. Flying Fish FF70610, Robin Huw Bowen – “Telyn
Berseiniol Fy Ngwlad/The Sweet Harp of My Land” (1996).

PRESIDENT, THE. Scottish, "Violin Solo" (Polka). A
Major ('A','B','C' parts) & D Major ('D' part). Standard tuning.
ABCD(Trio), with variations. Composed and published in 1904 by J. Scott Skinner; his most technically demanding piece
for the left hand. Skinner played in the United States twice, in 1893 and again
in 1926 (at the age of 82). Purser (1992) states the tune shows Skinner’s
classical techniques: “To the purist, The
President has only a peripheral place in the tradition, but it is still played
in country pubs in Aberdeenshire by fiddlers who would make short work of
purists if given the chance.” Alburger (Scottish
Fiddlers and Their Music), 1983; Ex. 109, pg. 186 (variation II only).
Hardie (Caledonian Companion), 1992;
pgs. 135‑139 (with variations by Skinner). Purser (Scotland’s Music), 1992; Ex. 14, pg. 238. Skinner (Harp and Claymore), 1904; pgs. 176-179
(theme and variations). Skinner (The
Scottish Violinist), pg. 18‑19. Topic
12T280, J. Scott Skinner “The Starthspey King.”

PRESIDENT GRANT'S
HORNPIPE. American, New England; Hornpipe. B
Flat Major. Standard tuning. AABB. The composition is credited to Harry
Carleton in Ryan's Mammoth Collection
(1883), as are a number of other compositions in the volume. Nothing is
definitively known about Carleton, and the name may have been a pseudonym.

PRESIDENT’S HORNPIPE, THE. Shetland, Reel. D Major. Standard tuning. AAB.
"Written (by Tom Anderson) in 1965 for the late Mr. L.H. Mathewson,
President of the Shetland Fiddlers Society from its formation in 1960 until his
death in 1972. His enthusiasm for the Fiddlers Society was a lesson to
everyone, and he seldom missed a meeting. He was Procurator Fiscal for
Shetland" (Anderson).

PRESIDENT'S MARCH [1], THE. American, March. Identified by 93 yr. old
Benjamin Smith of Needham, Mass. in 1853 as one of the most popular tunes of
the Americans in the Revolutionary War, until their musicians learned "Yankee Doodle" and "The White Cockade" from hearing
the British playing them in the distance (Winstock, 1970; pg. 71). The
distinguished Shaker Issachar Bates, who served as a fifer boy at Bunker Hill,
used this melody as the basis for his hymn “Rights of Conscience,” expressing
his pacifist views. Shakers who had served in the Revolution declined all
soldiers’ benefits bestowed by the United States government and ‘consienciously
objected’ to further military service.

PRESIDENT’S MARCH [2]. American. This “President’s March” was written by Phillip Phile in 1793
(a decade after the end of the American Revolution). Maggie’s
Music MMCD216, Hesperus - “Early American Roots” (1997).

PRESTON GUILD. English, Country Dance Tune (6/8 time). G Major. Standard tuning. AABB.
Preston, Lancashire, north west England was in the early-18th
century “a pretty town with an abundance of gentry in it, commonly called Proud
Preston” (History of the County of Lancashire, 1912). It was a weaving
center that expanded greatly during the Industrial Revolution. The Preston
Guild is a civic celebration held every twenty years, unbroken since 1542 with
the exception of a cancellation in 1942. The melody appears in Charles and
Samuel Thompson’s Compleat Collection of 200 Favourite Country Dances,
vol. 2 (London, 1765). Knowles prints this (un-attributed) quote:

PRESTON PANS. Scottish, Reel. A Major. Standard tuning. AABB’. The title commemorates
the one-sided battle in 1745 in which the Jacobite forces of Bonnie Prince
Charlie routed the English led by General Sir John Cope. Kerr (Merry Melodies), vol. 4; No. 31, pg. 6.

PRETTIE WEILL BEGANN
MAN. Scottish, Air (4/4 time). G Major.
Standard tuning. AB. The Skene manuscript was privately owned by the Skene
family of Hallyards, Midlothian, until about 1820 when it was bequeathed to the
Advocates Library in Edinburgh. It was transcribed by William Dauney in 1838
and published in Edinburgh under the title Ancient
Scottish Melodies. It is currently in the National Library of Scotland.
Source for notated version: the Skene mandora manuscript (c. 1620) [Heymann].
Heymann (Secrets of the Gaelic Harp),
1988; pg. 79.

PRETTIEST
(LITTLE) GIRL IN THE COUNTRY(-O). AKA ‑ "Prettiest Little
Girl in the County‑O," "Purtiest Gal in the Country." AKA
and see “Old Aunt Jenny,” "Prosperity Breakdown." Old‑Time,
Breakdown with Vocals. USA, fairly common in the South. G Major. Standard
tuning. ABB (Titon): AABB (Rosenbaum). The tune is similar in its melodic
countour to "What're
We Gonna Do with the Baby‑O" and to “Turkey Buzzard.”R.P. Christeson notes similarity to his
“Sugar in the Coffee” (Old Time Fiddler’s Repertory, vol. II, No. 129).
"A popular 19th century fiddle and play party tune well remembered by
older informants across the South" (Charles Wolfe). Jeff Titon says the
tune is generally well known in the South, but not frequently found in the
repertoires of Kentucky fiddlers. Alan and Elizabeth Lomax recorded the tune
for the Library of Congress from the playing of fiddler George C. Nicholson.
See also Thomas Tally’s No. 41. Verses are commonly sung to the last line of
the 'B' part, such as:

***

Cornstalk fiddle and pea vine bow,

Gwine take Sal to the party.

Swing 'em like you love 'em,

The boys are not above 'em.

Little more sugar in the coffee‑o,

Swing Sal to the party.

Prettiest little girl in the country‑o,

Mommy and Daddy told me so.(Skillet Lickers)

***

Prettiest little girl in the country‑o,

Papa and mama both said so.

All dressed up in calico,

I'm gonna take her to the party‑o.

I can get her if I want her,

I can get her if I want her.(Gordon Tanner)

***

Prettiest
little girl in the county oh
How do I know, cause she told me so. (Gene Goforth)

PRETTY GIRL COMBING
HER LOCKS. Irish, Slow Air (3/4 time). A
Minor. Standard tuning. AB. Source for notated version: "Copied...from a
MS. book lent me by Surgeon‑Major‑General King of Dublin (about
1885), who copied them 40 years previously from an old MS. book in Cork"
(Joyce). Joyce (Old Irish Folk Music and
Song), 1909; No. 365, pgs. 167‑168.

PRETTY GIRL MILKIN' HER COW [1] (An Cailin Deas Cruidte na m-Bo).AKA and see "Pretty Maid Milking Her Cow [1],"
"The Valley Lay Smiling Before Me," "I Would I Were But That
Sweet Linnet," "The Flower of All Maidens." Irish, Slow Air (3/4
time). A Dorian (Bruce & Emmett, O’Neill): G Minor (Kerr). Standard tuning.
AB (O’Neill): AABB (Bruce & Emmett, Kerr). As can be seen by the alternate
titles above, this popular and large Irish tune family is the vehicle for
numerous folk songs, and can be heard in slip jig and even reel form in dance
tunes (see, for example, a polka version of the tune under "Pretty Maid
Milking Her Cow."). Norman Cazden (et al, 1982) collected it in the
Catskill Mountains (New York) as "The Green Mossy Bands by the Lea.,"
and discusses it extensively in his "Folk Songs of the Catskills."
Other songs sometimes sung to it, he finds, are the lumbercamp favorite
"Erin's Green Shores," "The Banks of the Little Eau
Pleine." In Pennsylvania, it has been collected as "The Pretty Girl
Milking Her Goat." Cazden also notes that the melody was used for
"Llanarmon" (a Welsh hymn), a Newfoundland song called "The
Blooming Bright Star of Belle Isle," an 1888 London music hall song
written by Lady Dufferin entitled "Terence's Farewell," and many
others. Thomas Moore set his text "The Valley Lay Smiling Before Me"
to it. The melody was played as a Retreat in the Union army during the
American Civil War (retreat does not mean a withdraw in face of the enemy, but
rather a camp call signaling the end of the day’s assigned duties with the
coming of dusk). Bruce & Emmett’s Drummers’ and Fifers’
Guide, 1862; pg.
41. Kerr (Merry Melodies), vol. 4;
No. 243, pg. 26 (set as a jig). O'Neill (Music of Ireland: 1850 Melodies),
1979; No. 102, pg. 19. Maggie's Music MM107,
"Music in the Great Hall" (1992).

PRETTY GIRLS OF
ABBEYFEALE, THE. Irish, Air (6/8 time). G
Mixolydian. Standard tuning. One part. Abbeyfeale is a town in County Limerick
on the Kerry border. It was named after a Cistercian abbey founded here in the
twelfth century by Brian O'Brian. Only a few ruins are still extent as the old
abbey was incorporated into the present Catholic Church. "From memory, as
I learned it from my father: a good setting is given in Chappell; but I believe
it is Irish. (Joyce). Joyce (Old Irish
Folk Music and Song), 1909; No. 55, pg. 30.

PRETTY
LASSES OF LOUGHREA (Na Mna Deasa
Bhaile-Locha-Riabhach). Known as the "Execution Song." Irish, Air (4/4 time). D Major
(Joyce): F Major (Howe). Standard tuning. One part. "In Ireland whenever
any tragic occurrence takes place, such as a wreck, a murder, an execution, an
accidental drowning, etc., some local poet generally composes a 'Lamentation'
on the event, which is printed on sheets, and sung by professional ballad‑singers
through towns, and at fairs and markets. I have a great many of these sheets,
and there is usually a rude engraving at top suitable to the subject‑‑the
figure of a man hanging, a coffin, a skull and crossbones, etc. The lamentation
for a criminal is often written in the first person, and is supposed to be the
utterance of the culprit himself immediately before execution: it is in fact an
imaginary last dying speech...and the air to which I have set the words was
nearly always used for Lamentations in Munster, in my youth; so that these Lamentations
were usually composed in the same measure. I have repeatedly heard Lamentations
sung to this air in the streets of Dublin" (Joyce). Howe (1000 Jigs and Reels), c. 1867; pg. 25.
Joyce (Old Irish Folk Music and Song),
1909; No. 401, pgs. 210‑211.

PRETTY LITTLE CAT. Old‑Time, Breakdown. USA, West Virginia. A more major sounding
tune than "Pretty Little Dog" from
West Virginia fiddler Lee Tiplet, who tells similar stories about the origin of
the two tunes. Cassette C-7625, Wilson Douglas -
"Back Porch Symphony."

PRETTY LITTLE GAL [1]. AKA – “Pretty Little Girl.” AKA and see "Pretty Little Miss [1]," "John Brown's Dream."Old-Time, Breakdown. USA, western North
Carolina. A Major. Standard or AEae tunings. AABBBBBB. Known as a Surry County,
North Carolina, regional tune it was, for example, in the repertoire of the
area group The Sweet Brothers. The late Mt. Airy, N.C., fiddler Tommy Jarrell
played a tune by this name in DDad tuning. One of a family of tunes that
includes “Brownstream,” “Brownlow’s Dream,” “Herve
Brown’s Dream,” “Jimmy Johnson
Pass that Jug Around the Hill,” “John Brown's Dream,”
“Little Rabbit” “Red Steer,” “Stillhouse Branch” “Table Mountain Road” and others. The tune
family is a common a popular one in the Blue Ridge Mountains, where it probably
originated but has since been disseminated. Mike Yates (2002) says “it seems to be especially popular along the
‘Great Divide’—that part of the mountains that separate North Carolina and
Tennessee—but, in truth, turns up in one form or another all over Appalachia.”
The tune was recorded by the duet of William Marshall on fiddle and Howard Hall
on banjo, from Hillsville, Carroll County, Virginia (near Galax). Source for
notated version: Benton Flippen (N.C.) [Phillips]. Phillips (Traditional American Fiddle Tunes), vol.
1, 1994; pg. 189. County CD 2719, The Camp Creek Boys.
Musical Traditions MTCD321-2, William Marshall & Howard Hall (et al) – “Far
on the Mountains, vols. 1 & 2” (2002). Rounder 0213, The Tompkins County
Horseflies ‑ "Chokers and Flies" (1985. Learned from the
fiddling of Norman Edmonds, Hillsville, Virginia). Rounder CD 0439, Taylor
& Stella Kimble (appears as “Cotton Eyed Joe,” a mistitle?).

PRETTY
LITTLE GIRL (I LEFT BEHIND ME) [2]. AKA and see "The Girl I Left Behind Me [1]."
Old‑Time, Breakdown. USA; Kentucky, Arkansas. The tune was recorded for
the Library of Congress by musicologist/folklorist Vance Randolph from the
playing of Ozark Mountain fiddlers in the early 1940's. Morning Star 45003, Hack's String Band (Muhlenberg County, western Ky.) ‑
"Wink the Other Eye: Old Time Fiddle Band Music from Kentucky, Vol.
1" (1980).

PRETTY LITTLE GIRL ALL
AROUND TOWN. Old‑Time, Breakdown. USA,
Mississippi. A Major. The tune was recorded in 1939 for the Library of Congress
by Herbert Halpert from the playing of Tishomingo County, Mississippi, fiddler
John Hatcher.

PRETTY LITTLE INDIAN
[1]. Old‑Time, Breakdown. USA,
Kentucky. A Mixolydian. Standard tuning (fiddle). AA'B (Phillips/1995): AABB
(Phillips/1989). The tune is played slower than the normal breakdown tempo. The
tune was popularised by fiddlers such as Curly Ray Cline, who, although a
bluegrass fiddler, was influenced by traditional (old-time) Kentucky fiddling.
He played from 1966 into the mid-1990’s with Ralph Stanley’s Clinch Mountain
Boys. A story, perhaps apocryphal, is told of Cline’s appearance in a fiddle
contest with Tennessee’s Fiddlin’ Arthur Smith. Cline was a young teenager at
the time, while Smith was perhaps the most renowned fiddler of the era.
However, in the contest Cline prevailed, not a little aided by cheerful,
youthful exuberance and showboating…so much so that Smith went over to the new
champion with the greeting “You oughta be shot!” Source for notated version:
Curly Ray Cline [Phillips]. Phillips (Fiddlecase
Tunebook), 1989; pg. 35. Phillips (Traditional
American Fiddle Tunes), vol. 2, 1995; p. 104. Marimac
AHS #3, Glen Smith – “Say Old Man” (1990. Learned from Curly Ray Cline). Rebel
1509, Curly Ray Cline. Revonah RS‑932, The West Orrtanna String Band ‑
"An Orrtanna Home Companion" (1978. Learned from Kentucky/Ohio
fiddler Van Kidwell). Rounder 0132, Bob Carlin ‑ "Fiddle Tunes for
Clawhammer Banjo" (1980. Learned from Van Kidwell via the Hotmud Family).
Vetco Records, "Fiddlin' Van Kidwell with the Hotmud Family."

PRETTY LITTLE SHOES
[2]. Old-Time, Breakdown. GDgd tuning.
From the playing of Ward Jarvis, Doc White and Lester McCumber. Kerry Blech
thinks the title was Jeff Goehring’s after Wilson Douglas suggested to him that
it resembled a tune Wilson knew by this title.

PRETTY PARROT, SAY. AKA and see "Pretty Polly, Say."
English, Air. The song appears under the alternate title in John Gay's The Beggar's Opera (1729). The ballad
was said to have been translated from the French, and Kidson (1922) states it
is on early half‑sheet music. Raven (English
Country Dance Tunes), 1984; pg. 54.

PRETTY POLLY [5]. AKA and see "Peter Kutz"
(Pa.), "Hi Bell" (Pa.). American, Reel. USA, southwestern Pa. D Major
(Bayard): C Major (Bayard). Standard tuning. AA'B. Bayard (1981) identifies
this as an international air, appearing in collections from American, the
British Isles, and Continental Europe. He thinks the tune was originally
French, and that it has been popular in Europe and the British Isles in two
main versions; an earlier one (popular throughout the 18th century) and a later
one (popular from the early 19th century to "roughly" the present
day, and which was the only one to survive in instrumental folk tradition). The
earlier version appears under such titles as "The Weaver's March," "The Gallant Weaver," "Twenty‑first of August,"
"The Tenth of June," "Frisky Jenny," "Charles of Sweden," "Come Jolly Bacchus," and "(Glorious) First of August." Bayard
also notes Flemish and French versions dating from 1702 and 1717, which may be
ancestral to the British versions of these earlier tunes. The later form of the
air he identifies as well known in France and in the British Isles during the
19th century, and he cites several Continental collections in which the tune
appears. In America and Britain this form of the melody was known as "In My Cottage Near the Wood,"
"The Coquette [3]," "The Cheat" and "Cheat or Swing." Sources for
notated versions: Thomas Patterson (fiddler from Elizabeth, Pa., 1930's),
Samuel Losch (fiddler from Juniata County, Pa., 1930's), Thomas Hoge (fifer
from Greene County, Pa., 1944) [Bayard]. Bayard (Dance to the Fiddle), 1981; No. 294A‑C, pgs. 249‑250.

PRETTY POLLY ANN(A)
[2]. AKA and see "Sugar Betty/Betsy Ann [1]."
Old‑Time, Breakdown. USA, Texas. A Major. AEae or AEac# tunings.
AABBCCA'A'. Bob Carlin (1985) notes the tune is possibly a variant of the song
"Little Betty Ann," and that, as "Betty Ann," it was
recorded in 1947 for Columbia Records by fiddler Jesse Ashlock (who credited
the tune to the father of his former employer, Texas swing fiddler Bob Wills).
The tune was recorded for the Library of Congress by musicologist/folklorist
Vance Randolph from Ozark Mountain fiddlers in the early 1940's. The melody was
also recorded by Texas fiddler Eck Robertson. Source for notated version: Tom
Fuller via Brad Leftwich [Kuntz]. Kuntz, Private Collection. Rounder C‑11565, Brad Leftwich ‑ "Rounder
Fiddle" (1990). Rounder 0197, Bob Carlin ‑ "Bangin' and
Sawin'" (1985).

X:1

T:Pretty Polly Ann

M:2/4

L:1/8

S:Brad Leftwich

N:AEae tuning-written as if fingered in standard tuning, not
as actually sounded.

PRETTY POLLY, SAY. AKA and see "Pretty Parrot, say."
English, Air. This popular tune appears in several early 18th century ballad
operas, according to Pulver (1923), such as John Gay's Beggar's Opera, 1729. The original, "Pretty Parrot, say,"
was said to have been translated from the French. Kidson (1922) states it is on
early half‑sheet music.

PRETTY
RED {HAIRED} GIRL [1], THE (An Cailín Deas
Ruadh). AKA and
see "The Blackthorn Stick."
Irish, Air (3/4 time). D Mixolydian. Standard tuning. One part. A variant under
the title "An Bata Druin" (The Blackthorn Stick) can be found in the
"Freeman Collection" (Journal
of the Folk Song Society, volume VI, No. 10), though it is not the jig
"The Blackthorn Stick" as found in O'Neill's. A similarly metered and
structured melody is "The
Red Haired Man's Wife [1]," which though reminiscent of "The
Pretty Red Haired Girl" in phrases, seems to be a different tune. Source
for notated version: the index to the Irish collector Edward Bunting's 1840
collection gives that the piece was obtained from "Thomas Broadwood
Esq...Munster 1815."O'Sullivan/Bunting, 1983; No. 89, pgs. 133-134.

PRETTY RED GIRL [2], THE ("The Colleen Dhas Rue" or "An
Cailín Deas Ruadh"). Irish, Air (3/4 time). D Dorian. Standard tuning. One part. "I
give this fine air as I learned it in early days from singers; but an
instrumental setting, much ornamented, will be found in Bunting, 1840, p. 66.
It is there given in the major; but I always heard it sing and played in the
minor" (Joyce). Joyce gives one remembered verse to the Irish song:
***

My prayer to God will be to give prosperity and good luck to your
children:

If I had my own wife my shirt would not be soiled (as it si) on my back;

But alas, she lies in Kiltane with a stone at her head.

***

Joyce then gives a three verse “free
translation” of the song which he says was “very generally known and sung” in
Limerick when he was you (c. 1840’s). The song gives “an admirable picture of
the sturdy professional beggarman, as he flourished, and as I well remember
him, before 1847.” The first verse goes:

PRIDE OF PETRAVORE, THE. AKA and see "Eileen Oge." Irish, Air or Hornpipe. E
Minor. Standard tuning. AA’BB. The air is that of William Percy French (1854-1924)
and Houston Collisson’s song "Eileen Oge, the Pride of Petravore."
French was also the composer of such well known songs as “Darlin’ Girl from
Clare,” "Mountains of Mourne", "Phil the Fluther's Ball",
"Abdul Abulbul Ameer" and "Come Back, Paddy Reilly, to
Ballyjamesduff".

PRIDE OF ROCKCHAPEL, THE. AKA and see “McFadden’s Handsome Daughter.”
A two-part version of “McFadden’s Handsome Daughter.” Irish, Reel. A Major.
Standard tuning. AA’B. Accordion player Luke O’Malley reports that this tune
was popularized in the New York City region by John McGrath and disseminated by
his students, and probably received its title from a series of Sunday night
dances held at the Rockchapel Ballromm on 86th St. “Paddy Killoran,
as far as I know, picked it up from him. The dances were run by John O'Neil and
Murty Collins (d.)and Paddy Killoran played in the band at times.”

PRIDE OF THE DEE
WALTZES, THE. Scottish, Waltz. Composed by Peter
Milne (1824-1908), a Scottish
fiddler, one of J. Scott Skinner’s teachers and,
later, a fiddling partner. Milne managed to make a living playing theater
venues all over Scotland, but became addicted to opium in the drug laudanum,
which he originally took as a pain-killer.Milne ended his life in reduced circumstances, busking on the ferry that
crossed the Firth of Forth. Skinner (1904) said of him: “(Milne) was the
founder of the present style of Strathspey playing, and the best all round
player and composer of his day. His left hand was as unerring and accurate as a
machine. Another favourite piece of his is ‘The Pride ‘o the Dee’ Valse.” The
melody is considered among those of Milne’s better compositions.

PRIDE OF THE DON
WALTZES, THE. Scottish, Waltz. Composed by Peter
Milne (1824-1908), a Scottish
fiddler, one of J. Scott Skinner’s teachers and,
later, a fiddling partner. Milne managed to make a living playing theater
venues all over Scotland, but became addicted to opium in the drug laudanum,
which he originally took as a pain-killer.Milne ended his life in reduced circumstances, busking on the ferry that
crossed the Firth of Forth. The melody is considered among those of Milne’s
better compositions.

PRIDE OF THE WEST, THE (Péarla an Iarthair). AKA and see “Jack Coen’s (Jig) [2],” “Jim Conroy’s Jig,” “The Leg of the Duck [2].” Irish,
Jig. G Major. Standard tuning. AABB. The melody was recorded by the Bridge
Céilí Band (Robert Gleeson, fiddle). It appears to have been popular in County
Galway and, indeed, the composition has been attributed to Galway musician Jim
Conroy (from whom fluter Mike Rafferty learned the tune). Conroy was a flute
player from Woodford, east County Galway, and a mentor of flutist Jack Coen
(Bronx, N.Y.). It was also in the repertoire of Galway-based fiddler Brendan
Larrisey. Clo Iar Chonnachta CICD 165, John Wynne
& John McEvoy – “Pride of the West” (2007).

PRIEST AND/IN HIS
BOOTS [1], THE ("An Sagart
'Sa Butaiside" or"Sagart na
mBuataisí").
AKA and see "Bounce Upon Bess,"
"Come All You Good
Fellows," “Irish Lilt [5],”
"Kissing and Drinking,"
"Larry O'Lashem," “Mopsy’s Tune;the old way, “Murphy Delany,” “Paddy’s Dream,” "Paddy's Trip from Dublin,"“Parson
in Boots,” “Rocking the Cradle [2],”
"There Are Sounds of Mirth,"
"The Tivoli." Irish, Double Jig. D
Major (Howe): D Mixolydian ('A' part) & G Major ('B' part) {Breathnach vol.
3, Cole}: A Mixolydian ('A' part) & D Major ('B' part) {Breathnach vol. 2,
Levey, O'Neill}. Standard tuning. AABB. The Irish title translates as “Priest
of the Boots,” though it is often found as “The priest in his boots” or “The
priest and his boots.” Dance instructions, but no music, for a title called
"The Priest and his books" is to be found in the Menzies Manuscript, 1749, contained in the Atholl Collection of the Sandeman Library, Perth,
and, indeed, that may be the original title. O’Neill (1913) also states that a
special dance was performed to this tune in Ireland.
In fact, the tune appears to have been known throughout the British Isles, and
early versions can also be found in Playford’s English Dancing Master (1651)—under the title “An old man is a bed
full of bones”—Oswald’s Caledonian Pocket
Companion (1745-65 under the title “The Irish Lilt”) and Aird’sSelections
&c. (1786). Alfred Moffat, in The
Minstrelsy of Ireland (1897), identified variants of this tune as “Murphy
Delany” and “The Miser,” and though the former is decidedly a variant, “The
Miser” has more differences and it has sometimes been disputed whether in fact
it is actually a variant. Breathnach (1976) believes most of the alternate
titles from O’Neill are song names, for songwriters were very fond of the tune
as a vehicle for their words. For instance, he finds four songs set to it in Crosby’s Irish Musicial Repository
(1808) and notes Thomas Moore wrote “There are sounds of mirth” to it. There is
no relation to the similarly-entitled “Parson in/on his Boots” published
by Aird, though the names have led at times to some confusion. O’Neill (1922)
remarks: “As ‘The Priest in His Boots’ and ‘The Parson in his Boots’,
this tune was printed in six different Collections of Music between the years
1765 and 1809 at Edinburgh, London, and Dublin. The dullest ear can discern the
Similarity of strain in the second parts of ‘The Priest and his Boots’ and ‘The Arkansas Traveler’”. Howe (c. 1867)
gives “Paddy’s Trip from Dublin,”
“Murphy Delaney,” “Larry O’Lashem” and “Paddy’s Dream” as alternate titles. Source for notated version: flute
and whistle player Micko Russell, 1969 (Doolin, Co. Clare,
Ireland) [Breathnach]; a
non-standard version by flute player Paddy Taylor (Ireland)
[Breathnach, CRÉ III]. Breathnach (CRÉ II), 1976; No. 17, pg. 11.
Breathnach (CRÉ III), 1985; No. 8,
pg. 5. Cole (1000 Fiddle Tunes),
1940; pg. 52. Howe (1000 Jigs and Reels),
c. 1867; pg. 103. Levey (Dance Music of Ireland,
2nd Collection), 1873; No. 51, pg. 22. O'Neill (Krassen), 1976;
pg. 47. O'Neill (Music of Ireland: 1850
Melodies), 1903/1979; No. 968, pg. 180. O'Neill (Dance Music of Ireland:
1001 Gems), 1907/1986; No. 188, pg. 45. Ryan’s
Mammoth Collection, 1883; pgs. 81 & 89. O’Neill (Waifs and Strays of Gaelic Melody), 1922; No. 238-A. Claddagh Records CC8, Paddy Taylor
‑ "The Boy in the Gap" (1969). Flying Fish FF‑246, The
Red Clay Ramblers ‑ "Hard Times" (1981).Green Linnet SIF 1105, Patrick
Street – “Irish Times.” Maggie’s Music MM220, Hesperus – “Celtic Roots.”

PRIEST IN HIS BOOTS
[2], THE. Irish. A CountyDonegal version by the renowned
fiddler John Doherty,
recently recorded by Paul O'Shaughnessy.Little relation to the “Priest in his Boots” in O’Neill.

PRIEST AND THE RAKE. AKA and see “Fair-Haired
White-Skinned Calf,” "Slainte
Righ Pilib." Irish, Air (9/8 time). D Minor. Standard. AB. "This
song is a dialogue between a priest and a rake. In the end lthe rake is
converted and promises reform. The priest's words are truly typical of the
earnest affectionate Irish soggarth. I learned the whole song in my early days
from hearing it sung at home. The refrain 'Before the first dawn of day,' was
often given in Irish‑‑'Air maidin le fainge an lae: pronounced 'Er
moddhim le fawning an lay'. Pluto comes in correctly enough, as he was king of
the nether world. The air is a good version of Slainte Righ Philip"
(Joyce). Joyce (Old Irish Folk Music and
Song), 1909; No. 411, pg. 222.

PRIEST
OF LURGAN, THE. Irish, Air. The title only survives
as the single known composition of the Reverend Edward (“Parson”) Sterling,
a renowned musician who flourished in the second quarter of the 18th century.
He was rector of Lurgan, CountyCavan,
from 1737 and a fine bagpipe player and composer of airs. He was a contemporary
of “Piper” Jackson, and the two are
said by O’Neill (1913) to have been the last to compose Irish melodies in the
ancient traditional style.

***

Harper
Arthur O’Neill (1734-1818), blind since the age of two, knew of Sterling
by reputation. He writes in his memoirs regarding the upcoming second harp
competition at Granard in 1782, “About the month of March I made my way towards
Granard, and as usual touched at all my acquantances’ (i.e. gentlemen patrons)
houses. I remained some time with the Rev. Mr. Sneyd, rector of Lurgan, CountyCavan, the successor of Parson
Sterling the celebrated piper, who composed as already mentions ‘The Priest of
Lurgan’.”

PRIMA DONNA. American, Hornpipe. D Major. Standard tuning. AABB. Al Smitley suggests
the tune may possibly have been named for the clipper ship Prima Dona, a name that appears in American Clipper Ships 1833-1858 by Howe and Matthews. More likely
is an association with the variety stage of the mid-19th century.
Cole (1000 Fiddle Tunes), 1940; pg.
110. Ryan’s Mammoth Collection, 1883;
pg. 147.

PRIMROSE VALE. AKA and see “Primrose Glen,” “Lark in the Morning,” “Wicky Sears.” Irish, Jig. The alternate
title “Lark in the Morning” is also the name of several other jigs. Boston
button-accordion player Jerry O’Brien published the melody as “Wicky Sears” in
the mid-20th century, and the tune was noted by Brendan Breathnach
from the playing of Dublin
accordion player Sonny Brogan in the 1950’s. Tara CD 4011, Frankie Gavin – “Fierce Traditional.”